Were you strapped in school?

[Sporty]

Originally Posted by hal53

By looking at what they are "graduating" today , it is sorely needed!!!

Ageed!

Originally Posted by rottie

It wasnt the strap at school we worried about, it was the call to my folks they made. Man it made for a ugly, dreadfull walk home. In those days parents took a interest

That walk for us was like the Green Mile, our mother terrified us more than a strap could!

Originally Posted by Arctic

I got the strap, ...not as often as maybe I should have. You quickly learnt that there was a line you didn't cross, and your parents respectively backed the teacher. There were rules in society then, ...now sadly lacking!!

TM, I'm gonna have to talk with Les about your behavior!!

What gets me is all this "residential" school stuff, ...natives can't believe what school was like for people my age, teachers were strict, and we got the strap, pointer, yardstick. Most can't believe that this was normal in all schools, they weren't singled out as natives. It was just the proper correction of the day, and led to a gentler society.

I'd say that beatings and other abuse weren't the norm for all schools especially when the punishment doled out was for being who they were not the things they did. Its one thing to get the strap for acting out in school, a whole other to be abused for speaking the only language you've ever known.

[Jager]

We never had the strap at school..............but mom always had the yard stick at home. And I got it with that a number of times, always deserved it though!

One time I thought I would be smart and broke the yard stick in tow and hid it under my parents bed. BIG MISTAKE!!!! Mom splinted it with two paint stir sticks and gave it to me for my stupidity!

[winged1]

I got two straps in grade seven. It was supposed to be one strap, but when I yanked my hand away at the last second and the principal strapped his leg, it turned into two straps. If I remember correctly, my mother was called prior to the strapping so she could attend.

One of the roughians in grade six disagreed with the teacher over some opinionated detail. The teacher physically hauled him out of class and you could her him getting soundly put up against the brick wall from inside the classroom. I went home that day and told my parents who launched a complaint with the schoolboard.

[Tony Perdaniente]

I never got the strap at school, but at home...

Two brooms, 6 wooden spoons and fly swatter over the years from my mom. She was sneaky if she couldn't catch up to us right away, she would wait and then a couple of hours later - smack!

[chasingtail]

This was just back in the mid 80's but our pricipal would put coarse salt on your hand and then strap you for as little as having a snowball fight, he also punched one kid and broke is jaw. I remember breaking a window with a soccer ball in grade 3 and I had to stay in the gym all day kicking basket balls with my bare feet for punishment. I never played soccer in the hallway again thats for sure.

[Iron Brew]

Originally Posted by midgetwaiter

Yeah you can tell it works because there is so little violent crime in South Africa now. A model society no question.

Different world then and now... Very different...

When I lived there, I ran around barefoot everywhere except school (boy, did that mortify my Scottish grandpa, esp. when he bought shoes for us that went unused). Every adult, black, white or indian was "safe". I don't remember any houses being locked. Ever, even though we lived in the country. Children were a lot more protected and sheltered (then) than they were here. It was an immense culture shock when I arrived. Boy, was I naive. And did I learn to hate bullies. Loathe is probably closer. The authorities who used to punish me when I finally fought back have never been forgiven. I was NEVER bullied in South Africa. Would I trade it for Canada? NOPE.

you can't compare the society now and then over there. Much larger changes there than here... and we are complaining about how much things changed here...

[Dick284]

I dodged getting the strap while in school, even though I had my fair share of set too's.

Most memorable was in Grade 6, a kid who called my Dad a drunk (he had'nt drank in close to 15 years) I jumped a desk in class and knocked his rather large carcass to the floor, where I was merrily beating the stuffings out of him, heck the Ms. Baron ( burnt out hippy chick) had to get one of the Janitors to break up the fun.

I got hauled into the Principals office directly, but alas living right accross the street from the school has it's merits, a simple "I want to call my Mom", and had her in his office and me setting the scene of a much larger kid bullying me and saying some pretty ripe stuff about my family.

Guess who got called to the office bloody nose and all?

Guess who got reather warm palms and a few days off to re think his big mouth?

Not me

On the other hand living with a father with a hair temper, and other not so politically correct traits was a very good incentive to toe the line and fly straight.
I failed on numerous occasions BTW

[blackpheasant]

Yes got the strap a few times in elementry...usually for bumpering cars in the winter, always made for a long day because once the old man found out I got the strap then it was belt time from him, ouch!!!...